Cooking utensil



DW 1 1942- R.`N. KrRcHER z 2,303,841

COOKING UTENSI D Filedv Nov. 10. 1959 um I ATTORN EY This inventionrelates to Patented Dec. 1, 1942 oirso srrss COOKING UTENSIL Ralph N.Kircher, West Bend, Wis., assigner to West Bend Aluminum Company, WestBend, Wis., a. corporation of Wisconsin f an improvement in cookingutensils. v

One of the principal objects of the present invention is to provide acooking utensil which is so constituted that liquid in the utensil maybe L poured or drained therefrom without removing the cover with whichthe utensil is equipped.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cooking utensil, whichmay be selectively employed as an ordinary sauce pan or pot, or as adouble boiler.

A further object of the invention is to provide a cooking utensil havingthese advantages and capacities, and which is simple and durable inconstruction, reliable and efiicient in use, attractive in appearance,easily handled, and adapted to be manufactured with economy frommaterials and by means of facilities ordinarily available.

`Other objects and advantages reside in certain novel features of theconstruction, arrangement, and combination of parts, which will behereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in theappended claim, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forminga part of this specification, and in which:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation illustrating a cooking utensilembodying the present invention and showing its cover lifted or disposedabove the upper open end of the utensil. i

Figure 2 is a view in transverse cross section taken on the line 2 2 ofFigure l and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary detail view in top plan illustrating thelocating boss or indentation formed in the top of the cover for thepurpose of facilitating alinement of the draining slots of the coverwith the pouring lip of the utensil.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view in transverse vertical cross sectionshowing the utensil constituted to serve as a double boiler; and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary detail view taken on line 5 5 of Figure 4 andshowing one of the circumferential slots provided on the inner vessel ofthe double boiler to facilitate its removal by means of a fork or thelike.

Referring to the drawing it will be seen that in all embodiments of theinvention the cooking utensil -comprises a main or outer vessel,designated generally at IB, and which may be constituted of sheet metal,such as aluminum, or of any other suitable material. The outer vessel I0has a bottom II and a peripheral wall I2 integral with the bottom andextending upwardly therefrom. Usually it is preferable to have aperipheral wall of the main vessel slightly tapered, as shown in thedrawing..

Adjacent the upper open end of the outer vessel Ythe peripheral wall I2is provided with an-,out-

wardly directed annular flange I3 providing a hor.- izontal seat orshoulder adjacent the upper end of the vessel I0. Above the `flange I3the vessel is formed with an upstanding annular flange I4, whichcompletely surrounds the seat afforded 'by the flange I3. The upper edgeof this iiange I4 may be rolled or beaded, as at I4.

The outer vessel is provided with a handle I'5, which may be riveted, orotherwise suitably secured, to the peripheral wall of the vessel, asindicated at It.

A cover, designated generally at I 1, is provided, and has a plate-likebody portion I8 and an integral depending peripheral flange I9terminating around its lower edge in a roller bead 2o. Centrally theplate I8 of the cover is provided with aknob or handle 2I.

When the cover is placed in position on the utensil its flange 20 isdisposed within the confines of the flange I4 of the vessel, and thelower edge of the iiange I9 of the cover rests on and is supported bythe seat I3. In this way the cover is retained against displacement olfof its seat or support on the outer vessel.

Moreover, the outer flange of the cover is surrounded by a trough-likeannular space 22 dened by the inner surface of ythe ange M of the vesselI0 and the outer surface of the flange I9 of the cover I'I.

To facilitate pouring of liquid from the vessel I0 it is provided on oneor both sides with pouring lips 23, and the cover has its iange providedwith draining or pouring slots 24. By shifting the cover angularly untilthe slots 24 are alined radially with the pouring lips, it is entirelypractical to pour liquid from the vessel with the cover or lid in place,the liquid flowing through the slots 2lI to the pouring lip, and issuingfrom the lip as a definite controlled stream. Obviously, this isadvantageous in draining the hot water from potatoes or othervegetables.

For the purpose of facilitating alinement of slots and pouring lips, theplate-like body of the cover is preferably provided with a boss orindentation 25, one for each set of slots. This makes it easy for thehousewife, -or person using the utensil, to spot the cover thereon sothat the drain slots 24 may be alined with the pouring lips 23.

In the form of the invention shown in Figure 4, 1n add1tion to the outervessel I0, an inner vessel 30 is provided. It also has a closed bottomV3| and an integral upwardly and outwardly extendingperipheral wall 32.Near the upper open end of the inner Vessel 3|] its outer peripheralwall is formed with an outwardly directed ange 33, surrounded by anupstanding vertical flange 34. In the assembly, as illustrated in Figure4, the inner vessel is inserted in the outer vessel, and the horizontalflange 33 of the inner vessel 3D engages on and is supported by theannular seat fork or the like being inserted in such slot and used tolift the inner vessel out of the outer vessel.

While I have shown and described several constructions in which theinvention may be advantageously embodied, it is to be understood thatthe constructions shown have been selected merely for the purpose ofillustration or example, and

that various changes in the size, shape, and arrangement of the partsmay be made Withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention or thescope of the subjoined claim.

I claim:

A cooking utensil comprising a vessel having an annular seat at itsupper end, a ange upstanding from and surrounding said seat, van opentop pouring lip formed in said flange and extending downwardly to apoint above said seat, a cover having a depending peripheral flange,said depending flange being of substantially the same height as saidupstanding flange, a bead on the lower end of said depending ange toengage said seat and the lower portion of said upstanding flange to holdsaid cover in place and. form a seal, and a plurality of openings insaid depending flange above said bead, said openings being grouped so asto be brought into substantial alinement with said lip.

RALPH N. KERCHER.

